“Goodbye Lullaby,” a collection of frothy and weepy mid-tempo indie numbers, strives to be a singer-songwriter opus, with rocker Avril Lavigne penning eight of the 14 tracks.

Unfortunately, Lavigne’s own contributions are the reason the album never takes off. The infantile drivel in the lyrics of “4 Real” and the uninspired, clichéd “Darlin” are testaments to exactly how much songwriting assistance Lavigne needs. Producers Deryck Whibley and Max Martin, who make up for Lavigne’s childish wording with chirpy guitars and tasteful string arrangements, carry most of the album’s emotional weight.

Lavigne manages to redeem herself with the standout track “Stop Standing There,” a sweeping hand clap-filled ode on par with Ingrid Michaelson. Other decent tunes include the forceful “Push” and the urban-tinged “Smile,” efforts that leave listeners hoping another four years of waiting will yield an album that can rise above the half-baked soul search that is “Goodbye Lullaby.”

2 out of 4 stars